Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Juventus All-time Team

Intercontinental Cup and European Cup in 1996

Please also see myAll-Time World Cup Team Index.This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.Juventus has won more Serie A titles than any other Italian clubs, but they are known as the unlucky team at the European Cup/Champions League. They won two European Cup/Champions' league titles. They also have the misfortune of losing in the Final 6 times. And their very first title came in 1985, a team consisted of Michel Platini and the backbone of the Italian World Cup team. A decade later, they won their second title in 1996.

Considered to be one of the greatest keeper ever. He made his Serie A debut at the age of 17. He earned his first cap when he was 19. His biggest achievement must be winning the WC in 2006. He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record eight time. He became the most expensive goalkeeper of all time following his transfer from Parma to Juventus in 2001.

GK: Dino Zoff(Italy)He captained the WC winning side in 1982 at the age of 40. He held the Serie A appearance record until 2006. He was also a part of the team that won the Euro 1968. He achieved great club success with Juventus, winning 6 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italias, and an UEFA Cup, also reaching two European Champions' Cup finals in 1972-73 and 1982-83 seasons.

GK:Giampiero Combi(Italy)He was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world during the pre-War era. He won the WC in 1934 for Italy. He kept a clean sheet for 934 consecutive minutes in 1925-26 season, a record in Italian Football.RB/CB: Lilian Thuram(Italy)Thuram is France's most capped player. He was known for his strength, pace and stamina. He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. With France, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He scored two goals vs Croatia in the semifinal of the WC in 1998. CB/RB: Claudio Gentile(Italy)He was considered one of the Azzurri's greatest defender. He was best remembered for stopping Diego Maradona and Zico at the WC Finals in 1982. He was capped 71 times. Gentile played over a decade with Juventus.SW: Gaetano Scirea(Italy)Scirea was the starting libero for Italy in Spain 1982 and Juventus throughout the 1980's. He is one of only five players in history to have won all international trophies for football clubs recognized by UEFA and FIFA.

Scirea

SW: Ciro Ferrara(Italy)He was considered one of the best defenders in the world during his prime. However, his career with the Azzurri was limited by the same period with Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti, Pietro Vierchowod, Riccardo Ferri, Giuseppe Bergomi, Gianluca Pessotto, Paolo Maldini, and in latter years, stars like Fabio Cannavaro, and Alessandro Nesta. For club football, he played nearly a decade for Napoli during Duego Maradona's years before moving to Juvnetus. At Juventus, he won 6 scudettis and a single Champions' League.CB/ST: John Charles (Wales)He was the greatest Welsh player. He was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back. His best part of career was with Juventus. He was Serie A's top scorer with 28 goals, and was voted player of the season as Juventus won the Scudetto. He played in Turin for five years, scoring 93 goals in 155 matches, winning the scudetto (Italian league championship) three times, and the Italian Cup twice. He was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) in 1959. He was never booked in his entire career.

John Charles played both offence and defence

LB:Antonio Cabrini(Italy)He was one of the best leftbacks in the world during his time. He was remembered for being a part of the great defensive unit at Spain 1982. He spent the best part of his career with Juventus, winning the European Cup in 1985.

RB/LB:Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy)He was one of the best fullbacks in his prime. He could play both rightback and leftback. He was a member of the 2006 WC winnin team. He was selected to the team of the tournament. He played mainly with Juventus. DM: Luis Monti(Argentina/Italy)The ruthless central midfielder led Argentina to the WC Final in 1930 where they lost to Uruguay. Four years later, he became an Oriundo and won the World Cup with Italy. He was also remembered for getting injured at the Battle of Highbury in 1934 when England played Italy.

Luis Monti

DM: Didier Deschamps (France)He was only the second captain in history to lift the three big trophies: the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy and the European Championship trophy. The prime of his career was spent with Marseille and Juventus, where he won a Champions League for each club.DM/CM: Marco Tardelli(Italy)He played at the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina and the 1980 European Football Championship at home. He was the unsung hero of Italy's 1982 WC winning team. He was capped 81 times. He also won all the three major European competitions with Juventus. AM: Michel Platini (France)Michel Platini is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He scored 9 of France's 14 goals as they won Euro 1984 at home. It was probably the greatest individual performance in a tournament. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1983, 1984 and 1985. With Juventus, he won the European Cup in 1985, the first ever for the club.

Hewas named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and has been described as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He led France to victory at the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. With Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League in 2002, where he scored one of the greatest goals in history at the Final. AM/FW: Roberto Baggio(Italy)He was the icon of the 1990's. He was the World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or winner and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1993. He led Italy to reach the semifinal at Italia 1990 and then, to a second place four years later. For club football, he started his career with Fiorentina. He became the most expensive player in the world when he joined Juventus. He also played for AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia.

Roberto Baggio

AM: Alessandro Del Piero (Italy)He is considered to be one of Juventus' greatest players. He played with them for 19 years (11 years as captain), and holds the club records for most goals (289) and appearances (705). For the national team, he played 91 times for them. He was on the 2006 team that won the World Cup in Germany.

Del Piero

RW/FW: Giampiero Boniperti(Italy)Boniperti played his entire career with Juventus. He was the highest goalscorer in Juventus' history for more than 40 years, until his record was bested by Alessandro Del Piero. He went to the WC Finals in 1950 and 1954. He was capped 38 times and served as captain 24 times.

FW/LW: Raimundo Orsi (Italy)Orsi was considered one of the greatest forwards in Argentina's history. He started his career with Indpendiente in Argentina before lured away to play for Juventus. he won 5 league titles with Juventus. Later in his career, he would play in Brazil and Chile. He was capped by Argentina 12 times winning a silver medal at the 1928 Olympics. He switched to play for Italy in 1929. He was a star player as Italy won the WC in 1934.LW/AM: Pavel Nedved (the Czech Republic)He was probably the best player from the region after the breakup of Czechoslovakia. He was nicknamed "Czech Fury" by Italian fan. He was a key player as the Czech Republic finished second at Euro 1996, and reached the semi-final at Euro 2004. For club football, he is best remembered for playing for Lazio and Juvnetus. At Lazio, he won the Scudetti in 1999-2000, only the second league title in Lazio's history. With Juventus, he led the team to the Final of the 2002-2003 Champions' League final, but he sat out ofthe game due to suspension. He won the European Footballer of the that year.

SS/FW:Omar Sivori(Argentina/Italy)After Argentina won the Copa America in 1957, he joined Juventus where he enjoyed 8 successful years. He was credited with the resurgence of the club. With John Charles and Giampiero_Boniperti, he formed "the Magical Trio" with the club. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1961.

Omar Sivori

FW/RW/LW: Zbigniew Boniek (Poland)He is one of the greatest Polish players in the history of the game. After a starring role at the WC Finals in 1982, he moved to Italy and played for Juventus, where he won the Champions' League in 1985.FW: Roberto Bettega (Italy)Nicknamed "White Feather". He spent most of his career with Juventus. He won 7 Serie A titles there. He went to Argentina 1978 and was voted into the Team of the tournament. He missed Spain1982 because of an injury.

Roberto Bettega

FW:Gianluca Vialli (Italy)He first made his name with Sampdoria, helping them to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1990. In 1992, he made a world record breaking transfer to Juventus. In 1996, he helped Juventus to win their first ever Champions' League. He went to Euro 1988, where he was named in the team of tournament. However, at Italia 1990, he was unimpressive and lost his starting spot to Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci. After the WC Finals, he had a feud with manager Sacchi that forced him out of the national team.ST: Silvio Piola(Italy)He was the all-time leading scorer in the Italian league. He was third all-time leading scorer for the Azzurri even through his career was cut short by the World War II. He won the World Cup in 1938.

ST: Paolo Rossi(Italy)Rossi was the hero of Italy's WC winning team in 1982. Notable for scoring a hattrick against Brazil in Spain, and went on to win the Golden boot. He was also the European player of the Year in 1982. His club career was associated with Juventus. He was a part of the great Juventus team of the 1980's.

Squad Explantion-- Andreas Pirlo was still great when he joined the club. I also honour Claudio Marchisio. I put him on the honorable mention list.-- I preferred a younger backline. Pietro Rava and Virginio Rosetta were dropped. While Kohler was great, I selected the ones with stronger connection with the club. Cannavaro only spent two seasons with Juventus. The other defenders have served longer times. John Charles was too great for the club to be ignored.-- The decision was between Zambrotta and Pessotto. Zambrotta played less games at Juventus than Pessotto, but I rated him better.-- Vialli did not stay long, but he brought home the 1996 Champions' League. Zidane played 4 seasons and took the team to two Champions' league finals. Baggio played well for at least 4 seasons. Boniek contributed to the 1985 European Cup.-- Piola only played two seasons with Juventus, but I did not out him anywhere.FormationThe team was the 1980's added Buffon, Del Piero, Monti, Charles, Sivori and Thuram. Zidane or Baggio might be better than Del Piero, but Del Piero is a Juventus' icon. I reunited John Charles with Omar Sivori. I could also play John Charles at the back. Boniperti would become the starting centre forward.